VINELAND, NJ

DECEMBER 1999

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Friends of Hi

Volume 2 Issue 4 (Winter)

The Training School At Vineland

Very few. people really realize the incredible history surrounding the Training
School at Vineland. The impact that it
had upon the United States, and for that
matter, the world, in the study of mental
disease, and personality studies was immense. It is hard to believe how much
came out of those few buildings now remaining at Main and Landis.
The School published a book titled Thread of Change, A Collection of
Historical Readings from the Archives of The Training School at Vineland. It provides an interesting insight into the motivations of the
people that started and ran the school. This brief article that follows is
not original research but rather represents excerpts from that booklet.
This School was started in 1888 and is the date of founding of the old
and original building that remains on the grounds. It had its origins
in 1887 when the Reverend S. Olin Garrison of Millville (I repeat,
from Millville) observed the activities of two feebleminded children
who had come under his tutelage. Because of his concern for them,
he founded a school for them in Millville. The school soon had more
students than it could handle, so he decided to enlarge it. Vineland
heard of this effort and enticed him to come to Main and Landis with
a pledge of $2,000 of aid, plus a gift of Scarborough Mansion and forty acres of land. So, on March 1, 1888, Garrison and his family took
possession of the land and moved in with his students. He called it
the The New Jersey Home for the Education and Care of Feebleminded Children.
(Continued on page 2)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Page one: Historic Article

Page two: Article Continued
Page three: Lenape Indians
Xmas recipe
Page four: Cartoon
Messages

News Flash
The historical calendar for the year 2,000
is finished and can be
obtained at the Vineland Public Library,
the Chamber of Commerce, or the Downtown Improvement
District Office on
Landis Ave. Members of the Friends
will be sent a Calendar in the mail.
The Vineland Limousine tour is going
strong.
The next
tour will be on December 8,. Call the
Chamber of Commerce for future
dates (691 2113)

Address:
Friends of Historic
Vineland
C/O F. De Maio, M.D.
1047 Almond St.
Vineland, NJ 08360
Officers:
President
Frank De Maio, M.D.
Vice President:
Linda Schimmel
Secretary Treasurer
Rosanne Hughes
NewsLetter By:
Mrs. J. Oli vio
Dr. F. De Maio
Mrs. R. Hughes
Mrs. T. Kuhnreich

(Continued from Page 1)

In 1892, Mr. Garrison stated that within the range of their capacity, he was preparing them to go out. He meant to say that his methods were not to institutionalize them, but to prepare them for practical and useful lives wherever they land.
In keeping with this philosophy, he started the cottage plan where small, homelike living arrangements were build to house the students, instead of large institutional dormitories. This was followed by the first research laboratory in
America specifically devoted to the study of mental deficiency under the direction of Henry H. Goddard, and later Edgar A. Doll.
Under Goddards direction, the laboratory at Vineland became the premier research facility of its kind in the world and initiated the mental testing movement
in the United States. Then under Doll it produced the concept of adaptive behavior. These two concepts have become the basis for the definition of mental
retardation to the present day.

The manner in which the students were viewed created the basis for the long lasting model of the
humane care and treatment of the mentally retarded people.
In 1911, the name of the school was changed to The Training School at Vineland, New Jersey.
This was the same year that the standardization of the Binet Scale was performed on 2,000 Vineland Public School children.
The scope of the school was immense. In 1916, in response to the tremendous impact the poultry
industry had on Vineland, the school started an international egg laying contest to run for three
years to determine the best lines for poultry breeding. Then, not surprisingly in view of the fact
that the school was located in Vine Land, the school started a ten acre vineyard experiment with
80 varieties of grapes, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A huge number of articles and research projects were carried out. For example, in 1941, the year
World War II began, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale was adopted for military use.
Pearl S. Buck, the famous author had her daughter in the School, and in 1950 published an article
in the Ladies Home Journal and Readers Digest titled The Child Who Never Grew which was
translated into 13 languages.
I could go on and on. After all, more than 100 years of progress have elapsed, and a lot did happen there in during all that time. But, if you just remember, the school did bring national and international fame to Vineland. Yes folks, Vineland was great. You know what that means?? It
means we have a reputation we must live up to!!!
Frank De Maio, M.D.

Frank De Maio, M.D.

The Lenape and Vineland

We often are told of how Indians roamed the Vineland woods before the earliest European settlers. Yet, they scarcely left us any clues
as to ever having been on the Vineland Tract. A few place names have survived that reveal their aboriginal origination. The Manantico
Creek, meaning covered swamp" and the Manumuskin River, signifying swamp drinking place" are part of the modern geography.
Wauhatquanock, long forgotten, is the river known as the Maurice since at least 1677.
Two major Lenape trails crisscrossed Vineland. The first was the Cohansey, a path which could be followed south from Burlington to
Bridgeton, then eastward, crossing the Maurice River just above Almond Road, and advancing a northeasterly course until it hit the corner of Brewster and Wheat Roads. There it continued along Wheat Road to Buena's Midway Inn, and finally met up with the Long-AComing Trail just south of Weymouth Furnace.
The second trail is today's Delsea Drive. In prehistory, it was called the Mollogo Trail, later Anglicized to the Malaga. Very early it
became an important north and south thoroughfare, supporting much wagon traffic well before Vineland was established. Where the
two native tracks crossed, there operated a log tavern known as the Old Gregory Place, later to become Coney's Tavern
Settlement by the Lenape in Vineland would be limited to the Maurice River and its tributaries. Populating away from the river would
be temporary at best, perhaps a hunting camp or two. The barren sandy soils and vast pine forests of Vineland could not support any
sizable groupings. Few agricultural tools are ever found at Lenape sites, and the Lenape may have survived mostly by hunting and gathering. The term 'Lenni Lenape" is considered redundant, and just the simple "Lenape" is preferred. And that name, translated as
"original people' is rather misleading. They were the last of the aborigines in South Jersey, perhaps arriving here from North Carolina or
Virginia not much more than 1 000 years ago whereas the Paleo and Archaic occupancy in Cumberland County covers at least a 14,000
year time span.

To learn more about this subject, visit the Cumberland County Prehistory Museum, 1461 Bridgeton Road in Greenwich,
New Jersey. (Alan Carman has assembled an array of exhibits that represent many aspects of Indian life in Cumberland
County. Admission is free, and you will find meeting with Mr. Carman a most engaging experience. For information,

call 1 (856) 455-8141.)

Demitroff)

(Editors note: This fantastic little article was written special for us by Mark

SWEET BREAD

(PANETTONE)

Panettone almost stands for Christmas. Its really a nice desert. This recipe comes all the way from Italy. You must understand,
however, that with this recipe comes the need to leave a little gift for the Befana, the ugly witch that brings the kids gifts in Italy.
Oh, I know that Babo Natale is also coming these days, but that little old witch still gets around, and if you dont leave her a bit to
eat, she might get mean.
1/2 cup of sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 ounce of melted butter
3 ounce of warm milk

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PANETTONE (NOT THE WITCH)

1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
2 1/4 cup of white flour
1 pack of yeast for cakes

PREPARATION:
Mix the sugar, eggs and butter. Mix the flour with the lemon peel.
Dissolve the yeast in the milk. Then mix all of the above ingredients and work the dough well. (This is the hard part. It will take
about 20 minutes to mix and form the dough.)
Rub some butter on a pan. Then dust the pan with flour so that the butter is covered with the flour. Place the dough in the pan, and
put in the center of the oven preheated to 400-450 degrees. When the dough has risen and become golden, it should be ready. To
check, you can insert a thin straw into the bread to see if it sticks in the center (when cooked, it will come out clear).
Save some of this bread for the Befana at Christmas time.

PAGE 4

Mr. James Geraci

Minotola National Bank
Mr. Jerry Brown
Ms. Florence Volpe
Mrs. Elaine Greenberg
Dr. John J. Pastore
Mr. Harry J. Lawall & son, Inc.
Mr. Spike English
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph & Anna Leonardo
Dr. & Mrs. John P. Trabuchi, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Mickey & Mae Grotti
Dr. & Mrs. James & Carol Paterson
Mr. Robert Trivellini
Mr. Daniel J. Grosso

Thanks to the
generous donations of
these people
we can afford
to send you
this news
letter!!!

Dr. Norman & Mrs. Cassett

Ms. Nadine Jones
Ms. Betty Testa
Mr. & Mrs. Michael & Joan Stern
Mr. Bennett Bardfeld
Mr. Stephen Field
Mr. Albert P. Maccani
Mr. & Mrs. Bernard & Bernice Einstein
Mr. & Mrs. Donald & Thaddine Trucano
Ms. Evelyn Chinnici
The Woman's Club of Vineland
Ms. Mary Chammings
Ms. Eleanor Spada
Mrs. Mary Bechold
Mr. Steve Piccone
TO BE A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDS

BENEFACTOR.$100
SPONSOR.. $50
FAMILY... $35
INDIVIDUAL $30
STUDENT.$ 5
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC VINELAND

FRIENDS OF HISTORIC VINELAND HAS NO

CONNECTION WITH THE VINELAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION

What do you mean, dont get dressed, Linda

Schimmel already has a Santa for the parade!!
NAME _________________________________________

SAVE THE DAY

Our next Founders Day celebration
will be May 13 at the Landis Middle
School. It will be a blast. More about

ADDRESS ______________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP _______________________________
PHONE (HOME) ______________ (WORK) ______________
MAIL TO: FRIENDS OF HISTORIC VINELAND
C/O FRANK DE MAIO, MD
1047 ALMOND ST.
VINELAND, NJ 08360